- Gi
- The cotton jacket, pants and belt; the IBJJF allows white, royal blue or black.
- No-gi
- Grappling in a rash guard and shorts with no cloth to grip; the IBJJF runs separate no-gi attire and technique rules.
- Roll
- A live sparring round.
- Tap
- The signal of submission: two hand taps on the opponent, mat or self, two foot taps on the mat when the arms are trapped, a verbal withdrawal, or a scream of pain while caught in a hold (IBJJF art. 2.1).
- Guard
- Using one or more legs to stop the opponent reaching side control or north-south (IBJJF art. 4.2 note 1).
- Closed guard
- Guard with the legs locked around the opponent's waist.
- Half guard
- Guard with one of the top player's legs trapped (IBJJF art. 4.2 note 2).
- Pass
- Getting past the legs into side control or north-south for 3 seconds; 3 points.
- Sweep
- Reversing from bottom guard to top for 3 seconds; 2 points.
- Takedown
- Taking a standing opponent to the ground and holding top for 3 seconds; 2 points.
- Mount
- Sitting on the torso clear of half guard; 4 points.
- Side control
- Chest-to-chest control across the body; scores through the pass, not on its own.
- Knee on belly
- Knee or shin on the torso with the other knee up; 2 points.
- Back control and hooks
- Heels between the opponent's thighs from behind; 4 points.
- Submission
- A joint lock or choke that forces the tap.
- Armbar
- Hyperextending the elbow with the hips; the most common competition injury mechanism in the Scoggin study.
- Kimura
- A figure-four shoulder lock named for Masahiko Kimura's 1951 win over Helio Gracie.
- Advantage
- A near-score or a dangerous submission attempt; the first tiebreaker under IBJJF rules.
- Stripes and degrees
- Marks on the belt: up to 4 on white through brown, 6 on black.
- Professor
- A black belt instructor; IBJJF membership and promotions are signed by one.